Mazda will not have a Skyactiv sub-brand because sub-brands like BlueMotion (Volkswagen) or ECOnetic (Ford) for lower CO2 models is confusing to consumers, according to Mazda Europe chief operating officer Phil Waring.
“What BMW has done with Efficient Dynamics and what Mazda will do with Skyactiv seems a more logical way to go,” he said at the launch of the mid-life update 3 (Axela in Japan).
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Mazda is also too small to have Skyactiv as a sub-brand. “We can’t afford it,” Waring said. An eco sub-brand means that, by definition, those cars will be in showrooms alongside ‘non eco cars’ further adding to buyer confusion.
“Buyers understand the benefits of fuel economy,” he said and that will be the message the company wants to get across as it gears up for the launch early next year of the CX-5 compact crossover and the first of what Mazda calls its sixth generation products.
“Our priority is Skyactiv and between now and 2015 every Mazda will have it,” Waring said, adding that it’s not very often a company gets to launch an all-new model with no carry over parts from previous vehicles.
The launch of the CX-5 will be supported by television advertising. Waring believes that a good TV commercial “should entertain, not sell” and promises that Mazda will build on its theme of defying convention. He points to how both Apple and Dyson (vacuum cleaners) have done things differently and been very successful, noting that “having a Japanese car company with character is unusual”.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe redesigned 6 – to be previewed as the Takeri concept at the Tokyo motor show this month – will follow the CX-5 as another new Skyactiv model and promises CO2 emissions of 105g/km, said Waring.
